Offshore Management by an Artsy Leader.

Part 1

Casting Roles and Casting Vision

You are your own casting agent. What roles are required? As with any project, you must be mindful of your ideal team and amend your expectations accordingly as you go. Do intend to put on a minimalist production or do I need a full set with advanced lighting and design? Do I need seasoned professionals? Am I more interested in the delivery or the quality? Know your baselines. Know your KPIs. Know the roles you require to deliver. It requires proper planning to execute a production. You have to stage the show.

As with an initially empty stage, you should be continuously adding elements, as you see fit, to the production. Do not treat it as a hardened situation. Any artist will tell you, fluidity of movement and active response to stimuli will always aid you in creating the best piece. Once you come to the realization how your project begins does not pre-determine the finish, you will be more agile and better suited to delivering.

Assess trends along the way. Look for cues or signs. My recommended way is to review your script notes and thereby provide your outlook with your team. Show them the rough blocking scheme, but also the final product vision. Vision cast with them. They will be able to better partner with you in the successful execution of the vision. Give your partner a chance to impress. Leverage their expertise. You hired them. Allow them to show you why. The cast will be more suited to performing when knowing what the finished production should look like. Take the time to run reports. Honor the team's work, measure progress and give them proper feedback. Be in consistent and open dialogue with your partner. Managing the business’ expectations with a clear communication of needs will lead to a very conducive relationship with your partner. Remember, purposeful planning is only as good as the foundation of communication you establish with your partner. Your production is starting to come together.

Leaders are Nice People

I am reminded of the classic Roadhouse line in which the main character, when training a bunch of world weary bouncers, states no matter the circumstances,  "Be nice". Being nice always has its benefits and as stated by Alison Davis in the linked article, "Being Kind Makes You More Influential, Increases Productivity, and Builds Trust (According to Science)"

Being Kind Makes You More Influential, Increases Productivity, and Builds Trust (According to Science)

Servant Leadership

“If you really listen to your colleagues and figure out how to get them what they need, they will perform at a higher level, which improves the customer experience, which affects business results,”

This linked article by Emma Johnson speaks to the merits of valuing your employees beyond their output. It speaks to listening and encouraging them. Empowering employees always leads to success.

How to Become a Servant Leader

Thinking Gray

 "A leader should always act as though he himself, not history or fate, is responsible for his actions. "

This is one of the first books I really connected with as a burgeoning leader. It was the springboard to the leader I am today. I found this book insightful. It portrays leadership from the perspective of the unknown. When you are a leader it is imperative that  a decision is not made upon request, but only when you have taken the time to ingest all of the available data. The answer is never a forgone conclusion, but one which requires listening and a thorough examination of the factors involved. There is more than one way to solve a problem and only when you think outside the room will you arrive at the best possible solution. This review gives a good summary of the book and its potential impact on the reader.

https://vialogue.wordpress.com/2005/05/08/the-contrarians-guide-to-leadership-notes-review/

Offshore Management by an Artsy Leader

Preface

Making any partnership successful is an art. You will find it even more so working with an offshore team. You will notice I did not use the term vendor. I am of the firm belief if you treat your offshore team as a partner in success as well as failure, a firm foundation of mutual respect will result. It is an approach much like an artist takes when creating a masterpiece. You must be flexible and creative in your approach. Treat your project, initially as an empty stage with the plot and denouement in mind. While it is crucial to determine the required scenes, roles, and intended outcome, there has to be a willingness to take copious notes as the set takes shape and your staging comes together. In other words embodying a rote mindset without anticipating deviations and still expecting greatness out of a team will eventually lead to failure. You may be somewhat successful with the standard approach at first, but if you haven’t endeavored to know your team and gain their respect it will be costly and ultimately short-lived. Be flexible with a purposeful plan and always keep the team’s success and in turn the company’s expectations in mind.  These are the character frameworks of an Artsy Leader.